#DrakeDreams: Adrienne Turner, graphic designer

We’ve teamed up with Street Dreams Magazine and New Balance to connect + inspire up-and-coming dreamers who live the creative life. If you're as passionate about food, drink, art, craft + design as The Drake is, we want to hear from you! Calling all makers, artists, musicians, mixologists and culinary adventurers: post on Instagram to show us how The Drake inspires your creativity. Be sure to tag #DrakeDreams + win a priceless Drake experience that nurtures your craft. Interested? Learn more here.

Giving new meaning to the term “crazy cat lady”, Adrienne Turner, one of The Drake’s splendidly talented graphic designers is in the hot seat for this week’s edition of #DrakeDreams. Remember that Drake poster on Chinese New Year that made you giggle, or that Snapchat filter that spiced up your PRIDE shenanigans at The Drake? Yeah, you can thank Adrienne for those. With two years of The Drake under her belt, she’s got one “cool client” who lets her get creative and we couldn’t be luckier.

1. What does the Drake mean to you?

The Drake is about art, design, community and fun.

2. How does working at the Drake inspire you to follow your dreams?

Working for the Drake is like having one really cool client who gives you the design freedom to come up with campaigns and designs that you can be proud of. The Drake is about taking risks.

3. What do you love most about what you do?

The ideation process, the brainstorming, the sketching + round tabling, exchanging of ideas and when everything comes together for a successful design.

4. How do you feel when others get inspired by your work?

Flattered and motivated to keep creating things I love.

5. Why do you wake up and do what you love?

I’m lucky to have been given the opportunity to work in my field of choice. I spent many years at school and years busting my butt to get to where I am now. Happy, healthy and living in the big city.

6. What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Three cats meowing and pawing at my face and coffee.

7. Describe your creative process.

I usually try to start by talking with the person or stakeholder for the project and get a sense of direction they are looking for. From there I tend to do some research, scan tumblrs, look at colours. I usually sketch out an idea of a lay out first, and then adapt that to the computer.

8. Describe your ideal day.

A bike ride in the summer, a road trip, or an adventure.

9. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself.

I have a decent collection of antique bird taxidermy (about 40 birds), I got my first tattoo when I was 16 and my most recent this week. I’m a huge Elvis Presley fan, and I went to Graceland for the first time in October.

10.What's something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I was born in Halifax but haven’t been back since I was a baby.

11.Where in Toronto do you feel most creative?

High Park, or any park really. Nature within the urban.

12. Why do you love Toronto?

Toronto allows people to learn, explore and constantly be participating in social gatherings. There is always an event, a party, a new restaurant, gallery opening or festival happening every where you turn. It is imposible to feel bored in this city.

13. Who or what are your greatest influences?

I look up to many well known designers and musicians and their work but my university professor Eliza Griffiths changed my perspective on what society expects from woman, and that I can succeed in whatever I wanted. I had never met such a cool, forward thinking, and inspiring artist like her at the time and it left a huge impression on me. Her work deals with sexuality, power, gender roles, intimacy and how woman navigate the urban landscape.

14. In what ways you do see yourself improving in your work?

I think I have learnt a lot since I began at the Drake but getting to know your style is a process in itself.

15. What do you think distinguishes you from others?

I’m a sponge, I take it all in, the good and bad and try to channel that into something tangible.

16. What do you when you hit a life roadblock? How do you get past that?

Take a breath, sometimes panic a little depending on the situation, and figure out how to get around it.

17. How does it feel to create something that inspires/affects others?

Rewarding and grateful.

18. What's one important thing you've learned, that you could have only learned through experience?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, you can do everything on your own.

20. What are some goals you’ve yet to accomplish?

Too many to list. I want to travel more, I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, I’ve never been to Machu pichu and they are closing it to tourists in the next couple years.

21. What’s #1 on your bucket list?

The bucket list is always evolving. Laser eye surgery is pretty high up currently.